Crazy schedule and I need help with what to eat

I started by just replacing one meal with a spinach smoothy. Add an apple or a couple oranges if you cant stand the taste. That way you atleast get all your greens in for the day. As a bonus, youll see the difference in your skin within a couple days

It does help to eat smaller meals through out the day keeps your metabolism going and steady. Also you might need to prepare things before. Like cutting up fruits or veggies. Maybe a piece of bread with some peanut butter on it, maybe some crackers with hummus, nuts or dried fruit, salads or yogurt , hard boiled eggs

Yodee wrote: »

I work at a convenience store and my hours are different every week. One day I may work 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., then I may work 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. then have a day off. Then I may work 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and so on and so forth.

Although I am only on Day 2 of using MyFitnessPal, I have a good friend who has lost over 30 pounds using this and I will be working with her. I am looking for suggestions on what I can make that I can grab no matter what my schedule is and as crazy as it sounds, it needs to good cold because we don't get breaks, we eat while taking care of customers which on work days makes it very difficult to try and heat something up because it won't be hot once you get the chance to eat. I am not a fish eater so tuna is out but I could really use some help!

Also am I doing right by trying to eat five small meals a day to keep the hunger at bay?

I used to eat 5 meals a day, but later on I got tired of that, and started eating 3 good sized meals and leaving some leftover calories for evening snacks.

Things that taste good cold-

EAS makes these little protien shakes, walmart carries them. They are shelf stable, and have 100 calories. The name is "EAS AdvandEDGE carb control" I buy the vanilla one.(4 bucks for a pack of 4 drinks)

Apples. Really portable.

Granola bars, we like the nature valley oats and honey one around here. its 200 calories, and very sweet.

Lowfat chocolate chip granola bars (quaker chewy brand) are 90 Calories.

Emerald 100 calorie packs of almonds- especially the cocoa roast flavor. Yum. I ended up getting a food scale, so I dont buy the little packs anymore, but they were helpful at first.

Jif to go cups- 250 calories, great for making a quick sammich or dipping fruit into.

So I'd bring a few of those things in my bag for a long shift, and try to combine it so it seems meal-like. Ie- a protien shake, an apple, and a 100 calorie pack of almonds makes 1 meal.

I like three squares and one snack instead of 5 meals, because it's less fussing and thinking about food, and because 5 small meals tends to leave me hungry, while with 3, I'm nice and full a lot of the time. It doesn't make a difference for weight loss.

I'm wondering if a Themos might help, if you prefer hot food? Maybe you could just keep one at work, e.g. heat up your meal and then put it in the Thermos? That might be ok for stews and chilis.

I'd probably go with sandwiches + salads or soups. You could use leaner deli cuts or low-fat cheese. I like whole grain mustard for a spread. If you like mayo, I feel like half-fat mayo's not that bad for taste (especially if you don't use much) and it has way fewer calories than regular mayo. I think smoked salmon and light cream cheese is nice.

I like a lot of different kinds of salads eg these. Adding lentils or beans will give you fibre, which helps keep you fuller longer. Cabbage does the same thing for me anyway.

Good luck!